Enhanced television broadcasts, the Internet, and other information transferal technologies allow an end user to actively interact with a variety of different content and service providers as opposed to only passively receiving information. Accordingly a user can request additional information or purchase goods and services from a third party that is only indirectly affiliated with the network and its operator.
An interaction between a user and a third party may be initiated in a variety of ways. For example, the user can initiate the interaction without consideration to the information currently being presented by the network (e.g., user wishes to obtain status information about an airline arrival time in the middle of watching a movie). Alternately, the user may initiate the interaction in response to a prompt within the material currently being viewed (e.g., a prompt within a television advertisement pertaining to additional available information such as specifications, delivery, pricing, etc.). Alternately, a third party may initiate the interaction by requesting that the user provide additional information (e.g., polling).
Regardless of how the interaction is initiated, once initiated the user interacts directly with the third party. Unfortunately, although the network supplies the conduit for the interaction, the operator of the network is unable to monitor the interaction. As such, the operator is unable to control the interaction, including the look and presentation of the materials provided to the user during the interaction. Additionally, as the operator cannot monitor the interaction, they are unable to insure that they are receiving compensation for any interactions flowing over the network. As a consequence of this inability to capture revenues from these network interactions, in many instances the operator is unwilling to upgrade a network to the extent necessary to provide user interactivity. In other instances, although the basic infrastructure necessary for user interactivity is in place, the operator may be reluctant to make improvements (e.g., interactivity speed). In still other instances, the user may be charged a flat rate for interactivity capabilities.
What is needed in the art is a method and a system that allows interactions occurring between a network user and a third party to be monitored. The present invention provides such a method and system.